Happy Birthday to Me

MARISSA

Everything was well and good and all. The bus was practically speeding down a highway, the guys were still sleeping, and I got the peace and quiet I hadn't been able to have in a long time - even before I was abandoned by my parents.

For once, I was happy. I had no clue where we were headed, but I was happy. I wondered if that is where the term 'Ignorance is bliss' came from. I leaned back on the couch, smiling to myself as I looked out the window and could see the world passing by.

Well, I was smiling all until my stomach started to grumble.

'When was the last time I even ate?' I wondered as I tilted my head to one side trying to remember my last meal. I couldn't decide if it was breakfast yesterday morning or even before that when that nice older woman gave me free pancakes at that late night diner. Then it clicked. Hot Dog on a Stick with the band was my last meal yesterday morning.

My eyes slightly widened as I realized I hadn't eaten anything in almost thirty-six hours and with that I began to raid the bus' very, very small kitchen.

I know bands are always talking about how great their busses are and how they can pack everything into it and bring all the comforts of home along with them on tour, but for the life of me I couldn't find anything in their damned kitchen.

I sighed as my stomach rumbled again and I knew what I had to do. I silently crept to the back of the bus where the guys were sleeping and pushed open the fairly thick curtain that divided the two rooms and probably blocked most of the noise if something loud was happening in the front of the bus while others could still be sleeping in the back without being disturbed.

I glanced at all five guys, debating which one would put up the smallest fuss when I woke him up.

I wasn't even going to consider Gerard after all that we've been through. Mikey looked peaceful, like he was having a good dream or something....wait, did his foot just twitch?

Frank was sleeping on his stomach with his ass up in the air. I raised an eyebrow at him before I couldn't help myself and let out a silent laugh. I took out his phone and took a picture of him and titled the picture 'Sleepy Blackmail Revenge' for the just in case off chance I would ever need to use it, but I highly doubted I ever would.

Being that Bob and I have hardly said a full sentence to each other, I didn't think it was best for me to wake him.

That left Ray. He looked somewhat peaceful as I glanced at him, but also like he was a light sleeper. Hmmmm maybe that was just what I needed.

I bent over so I was at near eye-level with Ray and slowly and carefully poked him lightly over and over in the shoulder.

"What?" Ray questioned, still half asleep as he opened one eye to look at me.

"I'm hungry, but you guys don't have anything to eat." I whispered to him, trying to be quiet for the rest of the guys.

"Tell the driver to pull off for food. He knows what to do." Ray instructed.

"Yeah, but I-" I started to say, but Ray cut me off.

"It's fine. Just go tell the driver that we're out of food." he said before he let out a wicked long yawn.

"Okay." I said as I nodded and left the bunks to walk back up to the front of the bus. I stood there for a moment, awkwardly, trying to think of what to say.

The driver glanced at me for a quick second and asked, "Yeah?"

"W-We're out of food." I said.

"Wal-Mart or Target?" he asked.

"Target?" I answered as more of a question.

"Alright." the man said before he turned on the bus signal and began to merge from the fast lane to the slower lanes so he could exit the freeway.

I walked back over to the couch and sat down just as not only Ray but also Frank walked out from the back of the bus and sat down at the table.

"So where we going?" Frank asked.

"Target?" I replied, again more in the form of a question. I still wasn't sure if I had made the right choice or a mistake in choosing Target over Wal-Mart. I was always a Target person myself, so the choice just came second nature to me.

Frank and Ray slowly began to smile before Ray said, "Awesome!"

"Huh?" I questioned.

"Gerard always chooses Wal-Mart and we never get to go to Target." Frank explained.

"Oh." I said quietly.

"You know what?" Ray questioned, "I haven't been in a Target in like eight months."

My eyes widened, "Wow, really? I like to go to Target like every week! Or, I did before-" I cut myself off and glanced out the bus window. I guess I wouldn't be going to Target as often as I used to when I was still living with my parents. Ironically, I used to like to go to Target so much just to get out of the house and away from my parents for a few hours.

The driver stopped the bus in a Target parking lot and pulled out a magazine, hinting to the fact that he wasn't about to go anywhere.

Frank and Ray started to get off of the bus, but stopped and looked at me expectantly.

"Well, are you coming?" Frank asked.

"Me?" I questioned.

Ray chuckled, "Yeah. We can't get you what you want if we don't know what you like."

"Oh, alright." I said as I stood to my feet and followed Frank and Ray off the bus.